Even hybrid monsters have their day

Chapter 311 Prelude to the Mission: Sudden Changes in the World

In the main hall, an elderly man with white hair and beard quickly turned around and exchanged a glance with another elderly man who had been standing to the side. Although his expression was calm, the urgency in his voice betrayed him, "Quick, let him in quickly."

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice called out "Master" from outside the door. Immediately afterwards, a man in blue robes strode in. He bowed to the old man standing in the middle of the hall and said, "Sect Leader, I'm back."

Upon entering the main hall, Liu Qingzhi untied his bundle, took out an exquisite box, and solemnly presented it to the sect leader, his eyes filled with excitement.

Miao Renfeng took the box with trembling hands, but didn't rush to open it. He stroked it a few times with his wrinkled hands, his eyes filled with excitement.

Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he shakily opened the box. As soon as the box was opened a crack, a strong spiritual energy emanated from it.

The spiritual energy invigorated Miao Renfeng. He quickly lifted the lid of the box and saw the thing lying quietly inside. His face showed a mixture of surprise, joy, and sorrow.

He took a deep breath, feeling the unique spiritual power, and said with emotion, "After three hundred years, you have finally returned to my Green Mountain Sect."

Seeing the expression on his face, Ershan knew this time the item was definitely genuine. But he still couldn't help asking, "Master, is it true?"

“Yes, yes…” Miao Renfeng’s eyes were almost glistening with tears. “This is the treasure that was stolen from our sect by the demon race three hundred years ago.”

Upon hearing this, Ershan's eyes filled with even more respect.

He then turned to look at Liu Qingzhi, his eyes filled with praise.

Liu Qingzhi had only been a member of the Green Mountain Sect for a little over a hundred years. He had only heard about the demon invasion three hundred years ago that almost destroyed the Green Mountain Sect from a few of his fellow disciples.

Legend has it that the battle that night was extremely fierce, compounded by the theft of the sect's most prized treasure. In the end, it was their grandmaster, Yin Qianze, who sacrificed his life to activate the mountain-protecting formation, thus saving the Green Mountain Sect.

Therefore, Miao Renfeng specially erected a statue of Yin Qianze next to their main hall. This was so that everyone in the Qingshan Sect would remember everything he had done for the sect, and even more so, to remember that shameful night.

After observing it for a while, Miao Renfeng finally put the lid on, but he still held the box firmly in his hand, as if it would slip away if he loosened his grip even slightly.

"You did very well this time," he said to Liu Qingzhi. Among these younger generation members, Liu Biaozhi could be considered one of the best.

"Thank you for the praise, Sect Leader." After saying this, Liu Qingzhi looked up at Miao Renfeng, then turned to look at Ershan, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Miao Renfeng noticed it too, and said calmly, "Is there anything else?"

When Liu Qingzhi heard him ask, he reopened the bundle he was carrying. He opened it and took out a box.

The box had almost no decoration on the outside and looked extremely ordinary, as if you could buy several of them at the market for a few coins.

However, Liu Qingzhi's attitude toward it was somewhat strange, somewhere between valuing it and disregarding it.

"What is this?" Ershan asked, noticing his strange attitude. Miao Renfeng had the same question in his eyes.

"This is what Zuo Lengdan asked me to bring back. He said that the sect leader should give it to a girl named Geng Miaowan."

"What?!" Miao Renfeng's body trembled almost imperceptibly. He quickly handed the box in his hand to Ershan and reached out to take the ordinary-looking box himself.

Geng Miaowan...

That enigmatic girl.

He hadn't seen her since the night of the demon invasion. Whatever the demon king entrusted to him at this time must be extremely important.

After handing the box to Miao Renfeng, Liu Qingzhi continued, "Zuo Lengdan said that in the whole world, you are the only person she can trust. She hopes that you will live up to her expectations."

Hearing his words, Miao Renfeng's expression became even more serious. He opened the box, and inside lay two small, grayish-brown stones.

His expression changed, much like a fisherman who thought he was pulling up a big fish with his heavy fishing line, only to find it was just a worn-out shoe tangled in seaweed. The feeling was extremely subtle, and even Miao Renfeng couldn't immediately recover from the huge difference in his expectations.

He stared at the two pebbles for a moment, then asked, "She gave them to you like this, right? There's no mistake."

He couldn't figure out what these two pebble-like objects were or what their purpose was. He couldn't sense even the slightest difference in their energy; they looked so ordinary, like two pebbles picked up randomly from the roadside.

But what could possibly be something ordinary that would make a demon king like Zuo Lengdan value it so much? That would be too much to believe.

Liu Qingzhi nodded solemnly, "This is the box she gave me, and I brought it back untouched."

"Did she say anything?" Ershan asked, also finding it strange.

Liu Qingzhi carefully recalled the situation at the time and shook his head. "She only said that she didn't care whether the human realm was destroyed or not; what she cared about was Geng Miaowan's life or death. If she lives, we can give this thing to her and perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope. If she dies, then none of us will survive."

Even now, he still remembers the expression on Zuo Lengdan's face when she said those words. Although he felt she was exaggerating a bit, her expression at the time left him with no room for doubt. It was as if what she said would definitely come true one day.

Miao Renfeng listened carefully to Liu Qingzhi's words, pondering whether there were any clues to be found in them.

Ershan frowned almost imperceptibly upon hearing Liu Qingzhi's words. He looked at Miao Renfeng's solemn expression, as if he was truly considering the meaning behind Zuo Lengdan's words, and said, "Master, that demoness's words cannot be trusted."

Miao Renfeng shook his head noncommittally. "Right now, demons are rampant in the mortal realm, and the demon race is invading our major towns and cities, causing widespread suffering. I think what she said might not be entirely untrue. In the mortal realm, besides our Green Mountain Sect, there is no one else who can rival them. And even with the combined strength of Green Mountain, how long can we hold them off..."

Both Ershan and Liu Qingzhi showed a hint of worry on their faces. The current situation was indeed not optimistic, but...

"That fairy..." Ershan hesitated, but seeing that Miao Renfeng did not stop him, he continued, "That fairy has not appeared since she disappeared three hundred years ago. No one knows when she will reappear. Even if she does, the world is so vast, how could she possibly come to our Green Mountain Sect? If we just place our hopes on her, it would be too risky."

Ershan's words perfectly captured Miao Renfeng's worries; he, too, was concerned about the same thing.

After a long silence in the hall, he spoke again, “Of course we cannot place our hopes solely on Miss Geng.” He thought for a moment and then said, “Ershan, you must immediately send your disciples down the mountain to contact all the sects, large and small, in the world. You must persuade them to join our Green Mountain Sect in fighting against the demons.”

"Yes." Ershan accepted the order.

Miao Renfeng then turned to Liu Qingzhi and said, "Qingzhi, go to Phoenix Valley quickly, find Zuo Lengdan, and ask her where you can find Miss Geng, even if it's just a clue."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingzhi's expression changed slightly. He didn't immediately accept the invitation, but instead looked at Miao Renfeng with difficulty. Only when Miao Renfeng asked did he say, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, Zuo Lengdan... she is already dead." (To be continued.)